Nam Nam Cafe Stories

"Nom nom" is Internet onomatopoeia, a phrase describing someone noisily and blissfully devouring a mouthful of food. (It's a possible transcription of Cookie Monster's chewing, paired with pictures of cute bunnies or a drunken David Hasselhoff.) If you're anything like me, it's definitely the way you'll be pronouncing David Truong's Nam Nam Cafe -- or at least the sound you'll make with some of his simple and sensational Vietnamese dishes.

Dave Truong knows his noodles. He can even say he was eating at Anthony Bourdain's favorite Pho place in Vietnam before Bourdain discovered it. Truong grew up craving the beloved noodle dish, and of course he has it on his menu at Nam Nam Cafe (318 Wallace Ave., 891-8859), which he opened earlier this year.